


(onward still)

by courageous_boss



Series: Three Birds and a Baby (a Batfamily AU) [5]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Discussion of Gun Violence, Gen, PTSD related to gun violence, Panic Attacks, Rain, it's just characters talking, the next few tags are trigger warnings, there are no actual guns or gun violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2020-09-01 22:44:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20265715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/courageous_boss/pseuds/courageous_boss
Summary: When rain falls, the residents of Wayne Manor sleep uneasily.





	(onward still)

**Author's Note:**

> Quoting trigger warning again: characters discuss gun violence, character deals with PTSD around gun violence, child character experiences extreme anxiety about guns
> 
> There is no actual guns/gun violence but this is a severe and heavy topic so please take care of yourself. 
> 
> Ages:  
Dick – 12  
Jason – 15

The rain had been pouring for hours now.

Dick didn’t like the rain.

It made everything feel wet and heavy and _cold_. Worse yet, Jason was away for the night. Some sleepover with some friend. Alfred had long since gone to bed leaving only Dick and Bruce awake.

Dick pressed hard against his bedroom window, body curled tight on the window sill. So badly he wished Bruce would come into his room and offer some warmth. A smile or a hug. Anything really. Anything to stop the encroaching cold – cold – wet of the Gotham rain showers. 

* * *

The noise was loud enough and sudden enough that even the hardened heart of the Bat startled slightly. Bruce went as far as to clutch his chest, quickly removing his hand when he realized that his racing heart was a sure giveaway to his increasing age.

The bang – and it had been a _bang _– echoed in his mind. He blinked the gruesome images from his memory away. This wasn’t _that_.

Couldn’t be.

Bruce blinked. The rain was still falling. His ears were ringing.

He pressed his fingers firmly against the strong wood of his desk, rubbing softly at the texture. Desk, office, Manor, home. Home. This was not _that_.

The door flew open, flying back hard enough that it struck the wall with a bang. This time, Bruce sprung to his feet. His eyes darted around. Soft cream walls. Quality paint, framed pictures, bedroom, Manor, home. Home. He was home. This wasn’t _that_.

There was a strong, panicked squeeze at his waist. Instinctively, Bruce’s hand curled protectively around the small head pressed firmly against his leg.

“Shh,” he soothed. Bedroom. Manor. Home. “It’s okay, Jay.”

Tiny arms gripped tighter and Bruce finally looked down. Oh. Not Jason.

Nearly choking on disbelief, Bruce whispered, “Dick?”

Dick didn’t hug him – never hugged him. No. Hugs and hand-holding were reserved with Jason and Tim. Bruce got shy smiles and playful salutes. But never any touching.

Bruce gripped Dick tightly. The poor kid was shaking, feet bare against the cold ground. Just like that, the rush of blood in Bruce’s ears cleared, hearing honed on the small whimpers coming from the boy. His boy.

“Dick. Hey. Calm down. It’s okay,” Bruce comforted.

Dick pressed harder against him, shaky fingers gripping Bruce’s pajamas in a white-knuckled grip. Bruce placed a warm, sturdy hand on Dick’s head, all at once terrified at the situation and relieved that Dick was feeling safe enough to be vulnerable.

Dick pulled away briefly, tiny face scrunched in fear and grief. In a heavy voice, he said, “Gunshot.”

The word sent Bruce’s vision swimming again, eyes racing back to the walls. Pictures. Bedroom. Manor. Home.

“No, Dick. No.” This was not _that_.

Dick frowned, “I heard it.”

“It was a transformer. The storm probably caused it to blow,” Bruce explained.

“A transformer?”

“It’s used to bring electricity to the house. It’s not dangerous to us and since we still have electricity, it wasn’t even on our power grid. It’s not going to harm us.”

Dick still looked shaken, bottom lip trembling and eyes too wide.

Bruce smoothed a hand over the boy’s head, “Hey, how about we lie down? You can stay in here tonight. That way, if you need to come to get me, I’m right here.”

Dick hesitated, fingers still bunched tight into Bruce’s shirt, chest still rising and falling rapidly. Bruce felt his own chest ache, wishing to take all of Dick’s fear and anxiety away.

Finally, Dick nodded, a small, barely noticeable movement, “Okay.”

As Bruce settled Dick into the sheets, he couldn’t help but remember doing this for Jason not too long ago. Dick was just as soft and just as needy as Jason had been, never mind the trauma he had from his early childhood. Dick seemed just as small and just as precious as Jason had, tiny body dwarfed in Bruce's huge bed. 

Bruce turned off the main light, leaving the room bathed in the soft glow of the lamplight and crawled in next to Dick. The rain still drummed against the windows and the temperature was just a few degrees too low to be comfortable. But Dick was like a little furnace against his chest. Bruce wrapped a strong, heavy arm around his small body and guarded.

**Author's Note:**

> disclaimer: i do not consent to my work being hosted on any unofficial apps, particularly ones with ad revenue and subscription services


End file.
